Meant to Be
by Taisi
Summary: A ninja and a mage, straining their relationship to its very limits just to see what they're capable of. KuroFai
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my first Tsubasa fanfic, so...Be gentle? I'm not quite sure when it takes place, nor whether or not I'm going to make this a oneshot or a series...This is KuroFai (duh) because that pairing is the ultimate canon for TRC! Sadly, I don't own Tsubasa RESERvoir CHONiCLE. I wish I did though; as do, I'm sure, all of you.

Hm...Maybe I _will _make this is a chapter-fic...It's fun to write! n.n

_One - _

_Unspoken Honesty  
_

"Mage," the swordsman said through gritted teeth, "remove yourself."

He'd chosen to take part in a small tournament of various types of fighters of different ranks. They were divided into various groups, and the the victor of each group had battled it out with one another until there were four left. As one of those four, he'd progressed to the semi-finals easily, and now he was standing in the ring, facing down his second-to-last opponent--as, unfortunately, was Fye.

"No," the blond man protested, arms tight around Kurogane's middle. "Last night you got hurt again, Kuro-kon." Kurogane blinked, glancing down in surprise at his comrade. Fye's blue eyes were warm with hurt and worry. "And you left me to figure it out for myself."

"Mage, I'll be--"

"I can't trust you to let me know you're all right."

Kurogane broke off mid-sentence. The magician's arms tightened around him and his face was buried in his chest. All at once, Kurogane felt like the world's biggest hypocrite. He fully expected Fye to come clean about his every pain or fear; he knew how hard that was for him, and there he was, keeping Fye in the dark about just that.

He glanced at his opponent, a black-haired man in his early twenties. "Could I have a minute?"

The man grinned and leaned on his bow, bemused and in no way impatient. "Carry on."

Kurogane slid his sword into his sheath, and slid his arms around his mage. Fye tensed at first, then slowly relaxed against him; Kurogane could feel him shaking. He tipped the blond's head back, fingers at his chin, and as Fye's lips parted for speech, Kurogane leaned down to meet them with his own.

The kisses were what calmed Fye the most; a physical sign of warm affection, the emotion that couldn't be put into words reassured the healing magician that he truly was treasured, loved by someone, cherished in his love's heart. At least, that's what kisses meant for them; that simple, unspoken, "I love you."

Fye fell silent, but still refused to let go. He hid his face rather than meet Kurogane's pointed gaze. The ninja sighed, always exasperated at his lover's stubbornness, and placed his hands at Fye's hips, slowly sliding them up his sides, his back, over his shoulder blades, his neck, into his hair; he stroked the blond's hair, and leaned down to whisper, "You're being ridiculous, love."

"I don't care," came the muffled response. "I don't care."

_There's only one thing I care about. _Those words were left unspoken, of course, but Kurogane knew his magician was thinking them. "If you stay here, you'll get hurt," he offered, then added as an afterthought, "maybe."

"So? That's your purpose here, to get yourself hurt," Fye muttered softly, nuzzling his face into the fabric of the swordsman's shirt. "At least I'd heal faster."

Kurogane knew why Fye was so upset; he hadn't been honest to him, and that was unforgivable. They were building up a trust-oriented relationship, so every little thing mattered. The magician's heart was fragile; it had been broken many times. Kurogane wanted to be the person to hold the fragile little thing together; he wanted to be the unconditional love and comfort Fye needed in his life--he wanted to be the one person to strength his helpless soul, to help him open up and smile from the heart. To share the smile he reserved for only his comrades with the rest of the world.

Nothing would change Kurogane's mind; he was convinced that with Fye's honest smile alive and at work in the worlds, they'd be a whole lot better off. The blond's honest smiles were adorable, disarming and, to sum it up in one word, heartwarming. As opposed to his tears.

Those rare occasions when Fye broke down crying made something furious burn in Kurogane's chest. For Fye to display so much genuine emotion in the form of tears, something had to have gone very wrong. He hated seeing the mage cry, as rare as it was. The sight broke his--a war-hardened, blood-stained warrior's--heart.

_He was at a loss; he'd never seen the blond cry before. And he wasn't supposed to this time, either, he was certain; he'd only aroused for a glass of water, and on the way back from the kitchen heard the muffled sobs coming from the magician's room. Pushing open the door, he caught sight of the man sitting on his bed, crying almost soundlessly. He stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do--which was when Fye saw him. His beautiful blue eyes widened, and he grinned hugely; "You're up late, Kuro-tan," he chirped, brushing the tears from his face. "You should get some rest, you know."_

_And it was that easy; it was so easy for the mage to simply smile a seemingly perfect smile, to disarm and put at ease. He wasn't as easily fooled as everyone else, and it pissed him off that Fye seemed to think faking a smile was the answer. But before Kurogane could say anything, Fye was saying, "I'm sorry, Kurogane." The smile was gone, and a new look was in his eyes. "Please don't be angry with me." He dropped his face into his hands, whispering, "Please, don't hate me. I try, but..." He chuckled weakly, not lifting his face. "Everyone else wanted me to smile; they said, "Smile more!" So I smiled, because it made them happy. But you..." His fingers dug into his skin. "I don't know how to make you happy, Kuro-sama. I...I try, but--"_

_Without another word, Kurogane stepped inside, pulling the door shut quietly behind him, going to sit down beside the mage. When the blond man leaned heavily against him, shaking with what could only be repressed sobs, Kurogane thought it best to act; he gently brought his arms around the man. He rocked him, whispered to him; slowly, Fye grew embarrassed. This was always where their "together moments" ended. He would leave, still broken, and Kurogane would watch him go without knowing what to say or do. Flustered, Fye ducked his head and pulled away, climbing out of the swordsman's lap..._

_...and Kurogane wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling him back against him. He lowered himself down onto the bed, Fye tucked against him; the blond struggled for a moment, until Kurogane rested his forehead against his hair and whispered into his ear, "Hush." After an instant of stillness, Fye rolled over so he and Kurogane were facing one another. He curled into the taller man and Kurogane kissed his tears away, stroking his hair, his back, until the mage fell asleep, pale fingers gripping Kurogane's shirt for all he was worth. _

"Yuui," Kurogane said quietly. He was rewarded; Fye, recognizing he was serious, glanced up slowly. "I'm not going to die here; I may get hurt, yes, if this guy's as good as they say he is--" The black-haired man opposite them grinned and waved "--but I won't die, I can promise you that." Fye's fingers were tight on his shirt. "I'm not going to lie to you, Yuui, and I won't leave you." He was aware they had a rather large audience--this was, after all, the semi-finals--but the people in this country were a warmhearted bunch; no doubt they were probably enraptured. But either way, they'd have to wait; in a trust-oriented relationship such as theirs, one was allowed all the time in the world for such things as these.

And then Fye was standing on tiptoe to meet Kurogane's face, and the man tilted his head down to catch Fye's lips with his own. He felt Fye's lips form a smile against his skin, and then the mage pulled back again.

"Do..." The man quieted, and Kurogane knew he was composing himself. Then the magician said, "Do you mean it?"

"I don't like wasting words, mage," the ninja said, disentangling himself from his lover. "I'll let you lick my wounds when I come crawling back to your den; how's that?"

There was silence for a moment; then Fye grinned in a horribly mischievous way and said, "I'll hold you to that."

At once recognizing his mistake, Kurogane snapped, "I didn't mean literally!" But Fye's lighthearted grin was reassuring, and Kurogane motioned for him to get out of the ring. And, being the ever-so-contrary person he was, Fye sat down right in the middle of it. Kurogane was silent for a moment, before walking the few steps over to him and staring. "What the hell are you doing?"

His only answer was an idiotic grin.

"Get out of the arena, magician," Kurogane growled half-heartedly. The mage shook his head cutely. By this time, their audience was chuckling, not that either of them cared; the way Fye lived was inspirational, by his not giving a damn what other people thought--not to say he wasn't kind, he just didn't make his life complicated by caring how his actions would affect people other than his beloved comrades. After living with him for so long, Kurogane forgot to remember that ninja aren't supposed to indulge even a little bit in this kind of play, and eventually lost whatever reputation he might once have had in the first place. So, he knelt down, smirking and hissed, "If you don't move, I will move you."

Fye stuck his tongue out at him, which he took as an open invitation; he scooped the blond up and deposited him over one shoulder. Marching purposefully to the side of the ring, he hefted Fye up, holding him under the arms like a child and dropping him onto the ground. "Stay," he said severely. Fye picked himself up and posed like a puppy, then stood and dusted off his pants.

"I'm going to go check on Mokona," he said, and then, much to the crowd's delight, beckoned to the swordsman. Resignedly, the man leaned his head down and Fye wrapped his arms around his neck; fully expecting another kiss, the ninja was surprised when all Fye did was rest his forehead against Kurogane's. "For luck," he told him as he pulled away. _Tease, _Kurogane thought irritably as the mage trotted lightly away, turning back to his opponent.

The man smiled. "Let's make it brief."

Kurogane had to grin back. "Thanks."

But even as they started towards one another, Kurogane had no worries; sure, this man was every bit as skilled as he, but he had something that would surely allow him victory. Something blond-haired, blue-eyed, that he treasured above his own mortal soul, something he could never be without.

_I'll be home soon, Fye._

A/N: Well...That's all she wrote...And when I say "she" I mean "me", because no one stayed up with me to finish this. -mutters- My own muse abandoned me, that goddamn hippie.

No offense to any hippies! D: Please review! Power to the tree-huggers!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews! n.n I'm glad people are actually reading! Four is a lot more than what I had originally expected...But I'm not complaining or anything, so keep up the good work! -sigh- And _boy _am I not happy at the moment. I had to be a "servant girl" today. Before any of you laugh yourself silly, just know that afterwards, I got to eat stuff. ;.; Icky stuff...It was this STUPID "party" the freshman class threw for the rest of the school, a celebration for Shakespeare's 444th birthday, even though he's DEAD. I was part of the decoration committee, which was suddenly renamed the "servant people" (or the "hey, you!"s) and had to bring food and drinks to and collect empty plates and cups from random people I didn't know/like who were too lazy to tear themselves away from our shitty entertainers, get off their fat asses and do it themselves.

The food wasn't even good. It was all crap thrown together by people who didn't care, and it had to be from back in the _day, _but mostly people just bought pies and casseroles or some other shit and brought it it. Then, we had to deliver plates with nasty crap piled on it to random people who _wouldn't fucking take it_ and kept asking us go get them refills on soda, even though we wouldn't. Not to mention, we were all dressed up like Elizabethan wannabes, and it was _hothothot _in the gym.

But it was a 200 point project, so I decided to stick around. I did skip out on the cleaning though. ...

And here we go, now that my rant is done, the next installment. Okay, FYI--I got ahead of myself with this one. -.- I got the idea in my head and I couldn't wait like a normal person to add it in later, so I stuck it in now; I'm just smartical like that.

_Two - _

_A Kindly Intuition_

He was properly glomped as soon as he stepped foot through the door; a giggling Mokona and a swooning Fye draped themselves over him and refused to be budged, until Kurogane just lost patience and scooped them both up, continuing inside.

"Yaaay," Mokona cheered, "Kuro-pon's so strong and manly!"

"Just as a daddy should be," Fye agreed, smiling idiotically with the little thing. Kurogane twitched, and dropped them onto the couch. Fye bounced and landed cross-legged, and Mokona landed neatly nestled in his arms. That was when Fye glanced over at the door. "Oh! Did Kuro-rin bring home a guest?" He was immediately off the couch and in front of the door, grinning hugely. "My, my! Is this the gentleman from the tournament? I hardly recognize him without that big scary bow!"

Kurogane dropped a hand on his head, stilling his eager bouncing, and said calmly, "Yes. This is Yoh." The black-haired man smiled and waved, not put-off at all by Fye's behavior.

"And you're Fye, right?" he asked, extending a hand. Fye shook it, tilting his head to one side. "Kurogane's been telling me about you."

When Fye glanced at him, Kurogane said smoothly, "Only bad things, I assure you."

"And...what's this?" Yoh was inspecting Mokona closely, from where Mokona sat on Fye's head.

"I'm Mokona!" The white thing cried. "Mokona Modoki, the team idol!" Fye smiled at its distress, reaching up to remove it from its perch and nestle it in his arms. And all of a sudden, he was aware that Yoh had not moved; his face was still very, very close to Fye's. He seemed aware of the close proximity and something in his eyes was suggestive. Fye blinked and kept his frown to himself; at that moment, Kurogane's arm crossed his line of vision.

The swordsman pushed him back by the forehead, drawling, "Help me find the sake."

"Hyuu..." Fye trotted ahead, hearing Kurogane call over his shoulder, "You stay here, whitey," and Mokona's whining complaints.

_What was that just now? _he asked himself as he opened a cabinet. _That expression...?_ He was biting his lip as he struggled with the bottle, and then Kurogane was lifting it out of his hands. "What's the matter, mage?" the ninja asked, one eyebrow raised.

"The bottle won't open," the blond pouted, glaring at it.

"No, I mean..." He sighed, exasperated; Fye smiled, loving his expressions. "I mean, why did you get all tense back there?" He was pouring two cups; Fye knew the man was aware of his under-appreciation for sake, so that the second cup was for Yoh.

_I don't really..._ Fye looked conflicted for a moment. _I mean, he seems like a nice enough guy, there's no reason for me to be so suspicious about him in such a ridiculous way...I was probably just imagining things, _although he knew such was not the case; he hated when people said, "It was just my imagination", because nine times out of ten, the people who would brush something like that off had no imagination to speak of, and knew as much, which meant they were only dismissing common knowledge with lack thereof. He never thought he'd be one of those people, writing off a hunch (his intuition was brilliant) as groundless suspicions. "He smelled funny," the blond lied finally, wrinkling his nose in a convincing expression of distaste.

Kurogane's crimson eyes were holding his; for once, Fye's was the weaker gaze. He shut his eyes, tilted his head, that decietful smile playing out across his face.

_Everything will be fine. No matter what Yoh's intents, I know Kuro-tan won't let him hurt me. _His smile grew a bit more real, and Kurogane relaxed slightly, still not fully convinced.

_I know. _

--

Yoh kept showing up.

Fye was fine with visitors in general, as were Syaoran and Sakura. But Syaoran didn't seem to care much for Yoh; it was easy for his comrades to recognize his polite tone, guarded smile, the gaze that memorized every move one made. Sakura fed off his energy, noting his wariness and making it her own; when Yoh came around, she'd immediately position herself next to Syaoran, and together they would both play the perfect hosts. Kurogane made it clear he didn't care for the man either; he didn't dislike him, but it wasn't like he'd go out of his way to ask for him to come around. Yoh just kept inviting himself over, and no one said much of anything.

Mokona refused to stay in the same room as him, though she wouldn't say why; it gave Sakura and Syaoran an excuse to politely excuse themselves and take Mokona to their room whenever Yoh stopped by, and for that the mage was grateful. He didn't miss the way Yoh's eyes swept over the room each time he walked in, always fixing on Fye as soon as they found him. The way he went out of his way to sit next to him, would brush his arm as he reached for something and let the touch linger there.

Fye forced himself to believe he was only being paranoid. He followed Sakura's lead and began to stick close to Kurogane each time Yoh visited. If Kurogane noticed his sudden clinginess--and Fye would bet his life the ninja did--he didn't call any attention to it.

He did, however, bring it up when Yoh left for the night. He turned to Fye, frowning. "What's with you walking on eggshells all of a sudden?" Fye opened his mouth, already forming a carefully-worded explanation that had nothing to do with Yoh or his frequent visits, but Kurogane leaned down so their faces were mere inches apart and the words died on Fye's tongue. Those hard red eyes bore into his own, seeing past his every carefully constructed barrier, his every delicately woven wall, leaving him feeling open, vulnerable, helpless; as they always did. "No lies."

_How can I argue? _He very, very carefully explained the general idea behind his discomfort, not going into detail or supporting himself with the facts. He just laid the truth out and waited for Kurogane's reaction; which was a snort as he stood and headed to the kitchen. "Don't be so full of yourself, mage." When he turned back and saw the frustrated helplessness in those blue eyes, he frowned. "You're not seriously suggesting that Yoh is coming onto you," he said, and Fye knew he was beginning to get irritated.

"I'm sorry," the magician said at once, off the couch and before Kurogane in one fluid, graceful motion. He leaned into him, eyes begging forgiveness. "You're right, I'm just being stupid," he insisted, "I'm sorry, I won't bring it up again."

And it was then that Kurogane realized how frightened the mage was; he was desperate to eradicate any possible anger between himself and his precious person--because when he got scared, he subconsciously needed someone to turn to, even if he normally didn't. If Kurogane was mad at him, he'd be left to flounder on his own.

Kurogane felt guilty, felt he was the cause of that stricken expression on the mage's face. He brought his arms around the blond, who rested gratefully in the embrace, relaxing with an almost-silent sigh. Kurogane tucked the blond head under his chin, tightening his arms around the smaller man. He was aware that Fye was not hugging him back; he was just resting blissfully in Kurogane's embrace, needing not to hold, but to be held.

"I love you," Fye said suddenly, voice clear and soft.

Kurogane blinked, surprised at the sudden profession, but drew Fye's face to his for a soft, sensual kiss. He wasn't good with words; he let his actions speak. Fye let his lips linger over Kurogane's, wishing that there was nowhere else in the world for him to be other than right there, at that moment, kissing his samurai.

They stayed that way for awhile, Kurogane simply holding Fye, Fye content to rest there until the swordsman decided to move. Kurogane made a mental note to tell Yoh not to come around anymore. If he made Kurogane's mage this upset, he would never be welcome.

_Come to think of it, _the man thought suddenly, _why does he come over so much, anyway?_

--

Fye sighed, feeling very much alone.

The children and Mokona had gone out to search once more for the feather that had drawn them to this world, and Kurogane was out to find a job. Syaoran had offered to get one as well, but Kurogane had merely pointed out that they really didn't need a whole lot of money, because this world accepted money from the last they visited (where they hit the jackpot, as Fye had led Sakura around a thing called a "casino"). Fye piped up at that point to remind Syaoran of what had happened _last _time the three of them had had work and left Sakura out; that shut him up at once, and Fye had had to smile at him, had to reassure him not to worry about work, that Kuro-tan would take care of it all.

He got up, stretching, and meandered into the kitchen, debating what to cook for his family when they got back. He'd taken to referring to them as such mentally, although he never told them for fear of their reaction. He loved being with them, despite it wasn't really his whole self that discussed and laughed with them. He'd also grown attached to Mokona; he'd as much as claimed the white thing, and no one really noticed. And Kurogane...

He smiled.

_"Would you slow down, you goddamn mage?!" Syaoran, Sakura and Mokona were waiting down below; Fye and Kurogane were to climb a tall tree to a very high point, so they could look out and tell which way was the quickest way out of the forest--because, naturally, Mokona had dropped them straight into the middle of untamed wilderness._

_"Keep up, Kuro-chan, keep up!"_

_"You're gonna fall if you don't--" Kurogane reached for another branch, but paused. Above him, Fye froze. The mage sat slowly on the branch he'd been perched on and rested his forehead against the trunk. "...Mage?"_

_"I just remembered, Kuro-tan," the blond chuckled quietly, voice carrying down to the ninja, "how much I hate heights." _

_Kurogane had seen comrades of his battle their fear of heights; he knew how bad that fear could get. On more than one occassion, he had been sent to retrieve a shinobi from a place he couldn't climb down from. Tomoyo had been understanding, and let them work afoot; Kurogane had thought them weak and unfit to be a warrior. _

_"Mage," he said slowly, continuing to climb up to him, attempting to close the gap. "Can you climb down?" The branches here were weaker, and wouldn't support Kurogane's weight; Fye was thin and light, and had climbed his way higher than Kurogane could follow. _

_"Of course, Kuro-daddy," the blond giggled, as though it were the silliest thing he'd heard. But even from where Kurogane was, the ninja could see him trembling. The mage stood slowly, the small branch he was perched on protesting his every movement. He reached a hand out slowly to grab another limb; just as his fingers brushed the rough bark, he was falling. Kurogane didn't see how it happened, nor did he care; he was rushing downward, hopping down to the stronger branches, finding one that would support them both--and then the magician fell safely into his hold. He sat down hard, his back to the tree trunk; the mage was trembling hard in his iron grasp, whimpering softly, fingers clenching his sleeves hard. _

_Kurogane was at a loss; he stared at the man in his arms with alarm having never seen him in a state other than the annoying one, then realized the mage was whispering over and over, "Please don't let me fall, please don't let me fall, please don't let me fall..." and Kurogane felt his heart constrict painfully. Without thinking, he placed his hands on either side of the man's face, lifting it up until their eyes locked and he was all the magician could see._

_"I'll never let you fall, mage."_

_And he leaned down to kiss him._

Fye twirled, made light-hearted by the memory. He decided to cook up some food for his group when they came back; they'd left hours ago, and would be back any minute (the kids, anyway, Kurogane's hours varied from day to day so Fye wasn't sure about him), and he wanted to have food ready for them. Skipping into the kitchen, he opened the cabinets and pulled out a heavy silver pot. Just as he set water on the stove to boil, he heard a light knock on the door.

_Aww..._He was slightly disappointed. _They're back already? _Glancing dubiously at the boiling water he sighed, then brightened. "Ahh, well, now I'll have help." Trotting lightly to the door, he unlocked it and swung it wide open, a greeting ready to spring from his mouth.

Another voice beat him to it.

"Good afternoon."

The words died on the magician's tongue when he realized it was Yoh.

--

Kurogane slid his jacket back on, finishing his daily duties. Pocketing his earnings, he took three steps down the street before he was attacked by a white ball of fluff. "W-Whitey?!" He attempted to pry the thing from his face to no avail. "What's the matter? Get off me!"

Slender hands gently lifted Mokona away, and Kurogane blinked down at a slightly out of breath Syaoran and Sakura. "Did you two find the feather?"

Syaoran shook his head, looking anxious and upset. "Not yet, because Mokona--"

"I can sense it!" The white thing cried loudly, jumping out of Sakura's arms and onto Kurogane's shoulder. "Fye! He's scared, Kurogane! He's so scared it hurts!" The little thing was in tears; Kurogane spun to the children.

"Kid--take care of the princess; go into that cafe and order something, and stay there for an hour." Syaoran looked at him for a moment, and Kurogane knew his concern for Fye was battling his common sense; when Sakura clasped his hand and pulled him gently in the direction of the cafe, he shut his eyes for a moment before giving Kurogane a quick take-care-of-it look before leading Sakura down the crowded sidewalk.

"Mokona, where is he?"

"At home--someone else is there."

--

He wished he could use his magic to blow the bastard into the seventh ring of hell where he belonged; he wished he hadn't been backed into a corner where he was utterly defenseless; he wished he had something on hand to fight with, preferably dull and blunt; he wished he wasn't alone.

But most of all, he wished that the goddamn motherfucking pervert would take his filthy hands off him. In fact, he said as much in as polite a tone as he could manage. It was a good thing, too, because if he hadn't, Yoh might not have gotten as angry as he did.

_Points to me, _Fye thought grimly. Outwardly, he smiled. He smiled disarmingly, captivatingly, the way he always did; so his foot coming into sudden contact with Yoh's face came as a complete surprise. Then Yoh shouted something; Fye didn't catch it--

And then Yoh was covering his field of vision, all over him, pressing him hard against a wall. He struggled madly, before remembering suddenly that this man was at Kurogane's level--there would be no getting away from him. Fye continued to thrash, but inwardly he was wondering why he hadn't acted sooner on his suspicions--he wouldn't be here now.

Hands were at his chin, roughly snapping his head up. Then Yoh was kissing him. Mouth-to-mouth. Fye tore his head away furiously, then simply fell back. He made his body go limp in Yoh's arms, every limb still, every muscle rest. Yoh pulled back, eyebrows knitting together; then a solid blow from behind sent him flying forward into the wall, landing in a crumpled heap on Fye.

Kurogane lifted him up by the neck, fury in his bloodred eyes. The man was unconscious and slowly turning blue. Kurogane turned and bodily hurled him into the kitchen to be tended to later. Then his furious crimson eyes found Fye--who was sitting up gingerly--and softened.

He was trembling, and began patting himself down to hide the shaking in his fingers. "R-Right on time, Kuro-tan," the blond said lightly, voice breaking. Then, so the ninja wouldn't have to look at him--he was so _pathetic--_he stood and trotted into the kitchen, giving Yoh an unnecessarily wide berth, singing, "The water's boiling over, oh no!"

Arms were around him, and he was roughly dragged backward. He was pinned up against the wall again, but this time when he looked up his gaze was confused and alarmed, but not afraid. "Did he hurt you?" the ninja's voice was demanding.

"It was only a solid blow to my pride," Fye said cheerfully, "but my wounded dignity will heal in no time! You know me, I bounce back fast." He turned to go before his eyes could betray him. Kurogane's restraining arms did not move. "Kuro-pii?" The swordsman lifted one hand, brushing it over the bruise on Fye's cheek where he'd been struck.

"He hit you?" The cold anger in Kurogane's voice sent chills down Fye's spine.

"I couldn't keep my mouth shut, so he felt that a punch in the jaw would do the trick." Fye grinned, eager to put Kurogane at ease. "Although I believe we both know that if fist to the face would shut me up, you'd--"

Kurogane dropped his head onto Fye's shoulder; Fye stopped talking and, after a moment, raised a hand to pet the man's dark hair. "You're okay then?" The ninja's voice was rough.

Fye was scared out of his wits, suddenly exhausted, afraid to be near the even _unconscious _Yoh, and slightly dizzy. "Of course I am," he said soothingly. "Or, I will be. He didn't hurt me terribly, Kuro-tan. You were here before that happened."

"You knew he was bad news," Kurogane began.

"I only had a slight suspicion," came Fye's reply.

"Mokona didn't like him either," the ninja pointed out.

"Mokona's an odd little creature; it could've been anything that was keeping Mokona from liking him."

"Syaoran was the same way."

Fye knew there would be no end. He might've tried to walk away, but he was pretty sure he'd collapse if he tried; instead he leaned heavily into Kurogane, rewarded when the man scooped him up into his arms. Fye nestled closer, feeling incredibly warm and safe despite it all. Kurogane had come to the rescue, again. And, as long as it was his swordsman and no one else, Fye got the feeling he wouldn't mind being rescued countless times. The only drawback was Kurogane's self-blame and constant concern. Thus, despite how wonderful it was to be warm in Kurogane's embrace, Fye decided that he'd need to find a healthier way of getting there.

"Mokona said you were scared." Speaking of which...Kurogane glanced around for the little thing, then realized it was hiding under a chair, shivering hard. He scooped it out and watched it attach itself to Fye's chest, wailing loudly.

As he cuddled the frightened creature, Fye chuckled. "I was terrified."

"Why didn't you call for help?" This was what had really been bothering him; Fye had just suddenly gone limp in Yoh's hold, hadn't bothered screaming or fighting back. Just fell back loosely and left himself at Yoh's mercy.

"Because I knew you'd come," Fye smiled at him, from the heart, "so screaming for you seemed pointless." He sighed, suddenly exhausted. "I _knew_ you'd come."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Fye tilted his face up to kiss Kurogan's neck, the only thing he could reach from where he was nestled snugly in the tall man's arms. "Just a little tired."

--

Kurogane stroked the sleeping blond's hair later that night, long after Yoh had been arrested and Sakura and Syaoran had returned to find Fye sleeping soundly and safely in Kurogane's lap. Mokona was curled up on Fye's chest, its soft fur warming the exposed side of Fye's face. Even in his sleep, that soft, sweet smile played out across the mage's lips, his fingers loosely clinging to Kurogane's own.

The swordsman pondered Fye's unconditional love for him; he pondered what he'd done to deserve it--and how he could ever thank the gods properly for bestowing such a blessing upon him.

A/N: DON'T talk to me about how shitty it was! I'm _tired, thirsty, _and _behind in my work. _Leave. Me. Aloooonnne! Unless you want to review! -sparkle sparkle smile- In that case, you should totally _not _leave me alone. Just, like...don't stalk me or anything. o.o My lawn gnomes will eat your face(s).

Arigato gozaimasu!! Thanks so much for reading!!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: YAY! AN UPDATE! You thought it was over, didn't you. 6.U Well, shows what you know. Anywhose, HERE WE BE! New installment! I'm sorry! I'm hyper!! A little anxious, but very hyper! -does a jig- This is the last week of school for me! Friday is OFFICIALLY the first day of SUMMER!! WHOOOOOOO!!

...I hope I don't fail finals...-pale- GODDAMMIT! I HAVEN'T DONE MY ART SHIT YET!! -runs around screaming- I'll be screwed if I don't get that turned in tomorrow!!

Oh well. I got new manga.

_Three -_

_Dream a Dream_

:Flashback:

Kurogane caught him and jumped back in time to avoid a painful encounter with a poison stinger. "Mage," he said, never taking his eyes off the demon scorpion, "are you okay?" He got no response, which worried him. When he got a safe distance away from the approaching demon, he risked a glance down. The wizard was shivering uncontrollably, heavy-lidded eyes half-open and unseeing, his face flushed; he was clenching Kurogane's arm tight enough to draw blood, breaths coming in short wheezes. This alone was enough to get the point across to the ninja; he was in agony.

Kurogane hissed, crimson eyes flashing as they fell upon the demon that had hurt him. He drew his sword, channeling his chi into it for a final attack. He prayed that Mokona and the children were safely out of range in their pursuit of the feather, and let his attack fly.

When he got the blond home, the children hadn't returned. Kurogane wasn't worried; he knew Syaoran would keep the princess safe from harm. He laid Fye out on the couch, covering him with his thick white coat. He left for a moment, trying to drown out the sounds of Fye's weak struggles for breath, and returned with a damp rag and some medication Fye had demanded be bought several days prior.

Brilliant blue eyes met and held his, and Fye said softly, "Medicine won't be necessary, Kuro-chuu." He smiled. "The magic in me prevents and disease or poison from spreading, and will eventually iliminate it." His voice was hoarse, and his face was feverish.

Kurogane frowned at him. "But medicine will help with the pain before then."

Fye smiled again. "What pain?"

"Don't start that," Kurogane snarled softly.

Fye blinked once. "Really--I'm not in pain. What would make you...Oh," he smiled, realizing. "I see." He sat up slowly and Kurogane quickly braced him gently. "The villagers told us that the demons were poisonous, but Syaoran-kun didn't care because what made the scorpions demons was the feather in the forest." Kurogane knew all this, and wondered why the mage was telling him--and why he was speaking at all and not resting. The blond said, "But when you and Syaoran-kun rushed off to scout about, the woman told Sakura-chan and I more about it." He tapped a finger to his forehead. "The poison affects your mind, really; your body feels the symptoms as well, but mainly what the poison does--it's more of a virus really--is rush inside your thoughts and memories to weave the most horrifying dream you could ever imagine, based on what it learns about you. What the body feels is almost nothing in comparison." He touched a finger lightly to Kurogane's nose. "So no more worries, Kuro-chii. I'm just fine."

Kurogane scowled. "And the dream?"

Fye's smile was a bit forced this time. "Well, even if one manages to somehow get the poison out--it's possible for me, because of my magic--the virus will remain; and once it's seen your mind, even if it dies, it's imprint will remain there forever. Meaning, basically, that the dream will be a reoccurring one." His smile faded slightly, his eyes hardening. Quietly, "And even if I used my magic, there's no way for me to get rid of it."

It must have been bad if Fye had actually thought about magic as a remedy. Kurogane didn't like the thought of something so horrible and irreversible befalling his magician. He asked him, "What was your dream about?" and regretted it almost instantly. He could see Fye's gaze change as his mind rushed back to the memory of that nightmare; he could see, to his utter mortification, tears begin to swim in the wizard's wide, horror-filled eyes. That agony from the moment the poison reached his bloodstream was back in his expression, and he was choking back sobs, clenching the couch tightly as though searching for support.

Kurogane knelt in front of the couch to wrap his arms around the mage's shoulders; the mage only continued to shake with repressed sobs, clutching at his arms, blind with fear. "Fye," he said quickly, "it's alright. You're alright." He tipped the blond's chin up, searching that blue gaze for any signs of coherence. "Fye?"

All at once, the smaller man was burying his face in Kurogane's chest, clenching the back of his shirt in tight fists, sobbing, "Please don't die!"

And Kurogane knew what his dream had been about. He clenched his teeth, hating being so useless now when he needed to be strong for his mage, and disentangled himself from the latter enough so that he could lean down to kiss him; Fye had always said his kisses were magical, because he never did anything halfway. To his relief, he felt Fye relax ever-so-slowly in his hold, sobs reduced to shuddering breaths as he gradually got back in control of himself.

Soon he lifted his head, eyes closed, and said cheerfully, "I'm sorry I lost it like that, Kuro--" but the rest of his words were cut off when Kurogane leaned down to kiss his lips again, softly. After a moment, Fye pulled back to stare at him, looking lost. His lips parted and he said, "You're not going to leave me, are you?" Fye's arms tightened around him, trust in his eyes. "You won't, will you?"

"Che." Kurogane stood and shifted Fye over, so he could sit next to him. Then he put an arm around Fye's shoulders and pulled him over; the blond was startled but didn't struggle, choosing to instead lay against the ninja and gaze up at him, weaving their fingers together. "That's a stupid question."

Fye smiled. "Will you answer it anyway?"

Kurogane rolled his eyes and leaned down to kiss the mage's forehead. "I'll never leave you, no matter how much I may want to."

"Waaa, Kuro-tan's cruel!"

:End Flashback:

--

_Kurogane frowned. Where was he? He glanced around and found his comrades. He started towards them, opening his mouth, but paused. _

_They sat in the first row of several rows of chairs, facing the front of the room. Syaoran's arms were around a sobbing Sakura; tears streaked his face, but he didn't make a sound as he sheilded the princess from whatever it was that had so upset them. Mokona was wailing from where it sat in Fye's lap, covering its eyes with its round little paws, its ears flat against its head. Kurogane checked Fye's expression to gauge how bad the situation was and realized it had to have been _really bad.

_The magician's eyes were void of their usual animation, dull and colorless. They were fixed on the long black casket at the front of the room, and Kurogane realized he was at a viewing. He wanted to see whose death it was that had taken such a toll on his comrades, but couldn't tear his eyes from the sight of those silent tears falling down Fye's emotionless face. He was as still as stone, receiving no comfort and offering none. _

_  
Kurogane reached forward, loathe to see his mage cry; his gentle fingers met Fye's face, but Fye didn't seem to feel him. Nor did he see him; that gaze went straight on through the ninja. Frowning, the swordsman turned and made his way to the front of the room. Peering into the casket, he was startled to find himself lying there on the white silk. _

_What? He looked back at his friends; Fye stood suddenly, Mokona falling out of his lap. He walked forward to the casket and gazed down at its inhabitant. After several long moments, those perfect lips parted and Kurogane heard his almost inaudible whisper:_

_"You said you'd never leave."_

Kurogane's eyes shot open, and he sat upright quickly. _A nightmare? _he thought incredulously, bringing a hand to his face to brush the sweat off his brow. _I haven't had a one in years--at least, not one bad enough to wake me up in the middle of the night. _

Soft fingers were suddenly brushing his cheek, and he glanced down. Fye, who'd been curled into a ball under the blankets, was sitting up as well, rubbing his eyes with the hand that wasn't drawing Kurogane's face toward him. Kurogane cursed inwardly; he'd learned before that once Fye woke up, no matter what time it was, there was no getting him back to sleep. "Did you have a bad dream, Kuro-tan?" he murmured sleepily.

"I'm fine," he said with no conviction. "Just go back to sleep."

Fye smiled, stretching. "Nah, I'm awake now. I'll go read or something until it's time to start breakfast." He flopped back onto his pillows, before rolling forward and sitting up. Kurogane slid an arm around his waist and pulled him back, bringing his other arm around him as well. Fye didn't struggle as the swordsman held him against his chest, rather tipped his head up to smile at him.

"You don't get enough sleep," Kurogane said quietly.

"You're not one to talk, Kuro-pii," Fye chided lightly in a sing-song voice. He leaned his face up to plant a gossamer kiss on his lover's cheek. He felt Kurogane's irritation, and decided it best to add, "I'll lay back down if you do."

Kurogane thought about agreeing, but knew better; he would stay awake to dissect the dream, and Fye would notice this and get restless again. Instead, he simply sighed and said, "Fine." He was rewarded with a another light kiss on the cheek, before Fye trotted lightly from the room, showing no signs of weariness. Kurogane watched him go silently, thinking back to the only haunting words his dream had offered:

_"You said you'd never leave."_

--

"Hyuu!" The magician cheered, gracefully avoiding a blow that, had it struck, might've rendered him breathless. "Aha, we're pretty outnumbered!" His voice was cheerful and he held a giggling Mokona in his arms; the creatures attacking them snarled, enraged that the man thought the situation little more than a game, and attacked with more ferocity.

Dodging lithely, Fye called over, "Syaoran-kun! Do you think perhaps you could grab the feather while Kuro-ruu and I play with the puppies?"

Kurogane watched Syaoran dash off with Sakura in tow, and focused his attention once more on Fye; truth be told, he was worried. The bubbly blond's movements may have seemed lively, but he was lacking the normal energy he had. His lifestyle would destroy him; he ate like a bird, if at all, and seemed to have chronic insomnia--he put too much strain on himself in all those jumps and flips and that dancing and running around. His body was suffering, and Kurogane was worried about when it might shut down on him. He slashed a few of the strange wolf-demons away (they were guarding their territory, in which the feather had fallen) and spun to catch another in the jaw with the hilt.

"Fye?!" Mokona's shrill cry made Kurogane whip around instantly; Fye'd taken a hit, merely a light graze--he seemed to be, however, disoriented. He stumbled and reached out for something to brace himself on, finding nothing. The demons took this time to attack.

Kurogane cursed, and made his way over to the mage. He raised his sword, eying the demons warily, before he reached down with one arm to scoop the magician into his hold. The latter fussed for a moment, before he simply fell still; which scared a certain ninja, to say the least. Setting Fye down behind him, he spun around in the same motion, unsheathing his sword. "Shou-ryuu-sen!" he shouted, swinging it around with borrowed momentum. The demons that could stand afterwards immediately turned tail and fled, leaving the wounded to fend for themselves. Kurogane stared disdainfully after them; demons or no, a wolf was supposed to stay with injured members of its pack.

_"You said you'd never leave."_

The words resurfaced in his mind and he scowled, trying to clear it. He heard Fye laughing behind him, and turned in time to see a relieved Mokona nuzzle into Fye's face, and Fye smile gently at it. Fye glanced at him over Mokona and smiled. "I'm sorry, Kuro-tan, I got in the way, didn't I?"

If Mokona hadn't been there, Kurogane might've punched him. Maybe. "Can you stand?"

Fye seemed to think this was hilarious. "I'm not sure, really," he giggled, and Mokona did, too. Kurogane couldn't find the humor. The blond recovered though, and stood, albeit slowly, and cheered, "Let's go find Syaoran-kun and Sakura-chan!"

Mokona answered with an equally enthusiastic, "Let's go, let's go!"

Kurogane watched Fye trot off with the white bundle nestled in his arms, favoring his left foot to cover a limp; he heard Fye's vague, "Now, which way'd they go, I wonder...?" and Mokona's responding, "Mekkyo!--They went that way!" He heard Fye complimenting the little thing as he started in that direction, then saw him turn around and smile, eyes carefully guarded to hide pain.

"Kuro-wan-wan, are you coming?"

--

"But Kuro-sama," Fye objected, looking puzzled, "I'm not tired."

"Does it look like I care?"

Fye pouted. "It _never _does." And then he blinked, before crawling over the pillows seperating them and into his lap, peering into his face. "I didn't mean that." He was lifted away, back to his side of the bed.

"I know that. Now sleep." Kurogane's voice was unyielding.

"I can't sleep just because you tell me to!" the mage protested, crossing his arms.

Kurogane rolled his eyes, and reached a hand over to stroke at Fye's hair. About an hour later, after much fuss, Fye eventually burrowed down into the blankets and sighed deeply, lost in his dreams once more. Kurogane watched him sleep, thinking vaguely how similar his sleeping face was to his waking one. A carefully careless expression, a borrowed smile. He thought about those, precious, precious smiles Fye would share with him and only him. Those soft, smiling kisses, and that precious smile.

"Mmm..." Fye tossed around suddenly, frowning. "Nn...Don't...Ashura-ou..." Kurogane frowned; Fye had never talked in his sleep before... "Leave...leave him alone...No! _NO!" _Startled, Kurogane crawled over to the mage, unsure what to do. Fye's expression was one of absolute horror now--

_"Well, even if one manages to somehow get the poison out--it's possible for me, because of my magic--the virus will remain; and once it's seen your mind, even if it dies, it's imprint will remain there forever. Meaning, basically, that the dream will be a reoccurring one." _

Kurogane realized in that moment just why exactly Fye didn't sleep.

_"Kurogane!" _the mage was screaming now, "_KUROGANE! Don't go!" _His hands clenched into fists, and he trembled, sobbing_, "_Don't leave me alone, Kurogane, please...Please don't go..." He couldn't wake himself up; he was lost to his sorrow, to his fear. Kurogane clenched his teeth, at a loss--but he couldn't allow this for much longer. He put a hand on either side of the mage's head to lean over him, face mere inches from the blond's.

"Don't be an idiot," Kurogane said quietly, kissing the blond's forehead, his nose, his eyes. "I promised you, didn't I?" He was rewarded when Fye's sobs faded to whimpers, his brow slowly easing out; his body relaxed and he sighed in his sleep, a sigh of relief.

"Yes," he muttered, "Ashuro-ou, Kuro-chii promised...Come back...again...tomor...row..." And he drifted into a deeper sleep. Kurogane exhaled deeply, moving off him back over to his side of the bed. He heard knock on the door, and said, "Come in."

The door swung open to admit a meek Syaoran holding a flustered Mokona. "I'm sorry, Kurogane-san," he said quickly, "but Mokona said that Fye was--"

"That damn mage is fine," the ninja said throwing his magazine onto the bedside table. "Get some rest, kid--you too, Whitey."

Syaoran nodded earnestly, "Hai." And as he pulled the door shut, Kurogane heard Mokona's mumbled, "But I _know _I felt it..."

--

_Kurogane frowned. Where was he? He glanced around and found his comrades. He tried to start towards them, opening his mouth, but realized he couldn't move. He was lying in a bed with white sheets, and an annoying little box next to him was beaping repeatedly._

_They sat in a single row of chairs, just an arm's reach from the bed. Syaoran's arms were around a sobbing Sakura; his face was a rigid mask of concern, but he didn't make a sound as he shielded the princess from whatever it was that had so upset them. Mokona was wailing from where it sat in Fye's lap, covering its eyes with its round little paws, its ears flat against its head. Kurogane checked Fye's expression to gauge how bad the situation was and realized it had to have been pretty bad. _

_The magician's eyes were void of their usual animation, but alive with worry. They were fixed on the floor; Kurogane realized none of them were aware he was awake, but couldn't tear his eyes from the sight of those silent tears falling down Fye's frightened face. He was as still as stone, receiving no comfort and offering none, intent upon stillness._

_  
Kurogane reached forward, loathe to see his mage cry; his gentle fingers met Fye's hair, and Fye's head jerked up. His eyes widened and he stood at once, Mokona falling out of his lap. Syaoran and Sakura heard his chair screech back, and then their eyes found the waking Kurogane, and they jumped up at once, both shouting, "Kurogane-san!" Everyone was grouped around him, expressing concern and relief, and Syaoran and Sakura were both rushing out to find a doctor, and Mokona was nuzzling into his neck, crying loudly, but Kurogane had eyes only for Fye, who was sitting on the bed now, stroking the side of his face, smiling. _

_After several long moments, those perfect lips parted and Kurogane heard his almost inaudible whisper:_

_"You said you'd never leave."_

A/N: Hahaha, I wrote the first A/N a while ago. ID I didn't fail anything, guys! I passed everything with Ds, Cs and Bs! (Well, like, one B. This was not my year.)

OKAY. This was probably THE most confusing thing I've EVER written. More confusing than my WoF story, and _that's _saying something. :shudder: Naruto fics can get very confuzzling, lemme tell ya. Anywhosems, I've compiled a list of all the important things I need to say (number five is the most important):

1--Thanks for reading!

2--Sorry it's so short!

3--Sorry it took so long!

4--This must be annoying...

5--Please review!!


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